Chaos in the Future
by Haloplayer14
Summary: A drow stranger pulls Liriel Baenre and Fyodor into the year 2026, where Lloth is expected to attack within the month. Please R&R. No flames tho, thanx.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story  
  
It was a dark night in the city of Luskan. A warm breeze blew through the streets, bringing out many people, some taking a stroll, others, plotting, scheming, and watching from dark alleys every person that was brave enough to walk by. Among these were two cloaked figures. One was nearly six feet tall, with long, wild, golden brown hair. The other figure was much smaller, but had the look of a person of many battles and travels.  
  
"How do we go about this plan?" Fyodor whispered to his drow friend, Liriel Baenre.  
  
Liriel flashed him a grin and pulled out two of her throwing spiders. The weapons were magically enchanted to bore through any thing they hit. "I'll take out the guards," She nodded her head towards a door being guarded by two minotaurs, "you slip inside and take care of anyone in there."  
  
Fyodor nodded and slipped out of their dark hiding place. He broke into a run as Liriel hurled her throwing spiders at the minotaurs with deadly accuracy. The weapons hit both monsters in the chest and automatically began burrowing up through their ribcages. Fyodor slipped past them and kicked open the door.  
  
Liriel grabbed her throwing spiders from the mutated bodies of the minotaurs and ran inside to find Fyodor battling a human guard. The guard quickly fell before Fyodor's onslaught, and both human and drow ran into the main hall of the building.  
  
A curious sight greeted both of their eyes as they turned a passage. "I've been expecting you, Liriel Baenre," came a greeting in the human tongue. A drow stepped out from a shadowy corner and came toward them. He was medium height by drow standards, and had a long, flowing mane of white hair, and the standard red eyes. What caught Liriel's attention was his left arm, which appeared to be composed of pure diamond.  
  
Fyodor, meaning to chop the stranger down without a thought, swung his sword in a downward motion at the drow's head. The drow calmly raised his diamond arm and intercepted the blow, not the slightest wince appeared on his face. "I have no intentions of harming you at all," the drow continued as Fyodor stared in disbelief at the undamaged arm.  
  
"Who are you?" Liriel growled, crouching into a battle ready stance. Fyodor raised his sword again in defense.  
  
"I am called Yen'rathe. I have come here to ask of your assistance." Liriel began to reply but the drow cut her off. "I do not have time for explanations. You will know everything in time." He reached up to his ear and tapped a device that was attached. "Shazzarra," he spoke "Bring us in."  
  
An unseen voice spoke then. "Roger sir. Sending the recover signal now."  
  
Liriel began to feel light headed, like she had drank too much firewine. She barely noticed that Fyodor had slumped into a sleeping postition on the ground.  
  
"Fyod......" The drow stranger covered her mouth then and whispered, "Sleep now, Liriel Baenre. You will have your answers. Sleep..........."  
  
Liriel didn't know why, but she didn't protest to his soothing words. His face became blurry as she felt herself slipping away. Not two seconds later, she was unconsious.  
  
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Well, what do you think? Please review and i'll post more chappies! 


	2. The future?

Disclaimer: Once again, i don't own anything in this story, Elaine Cunningham does though!  
  
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Liriel woke the next morning with a dull pounding inside her head, and her whole body feeling slightly numb. She sat up and surveyed her surroundings. She appeared to be inside a home, though none like she had ever seen before. Bright sunlight shone through the windows, warming the plush green carpet that covered the floor, and various objects sat inside the kitchen next to her, and in the room in front of her.  
  
Fyodor lay next to an overstuffed armchair, snoring loudly. Liriel watched as he shifted to a more comfortable position, hitting the arm chair with a loud ! Liriel smiled at him as she tried to recall what had happened. Her thoughts were interrupted when an ebony skinned hand rested on her shoulder.  
  
Quicker than the eye could blink, Liriel had a dagger out, and pressed against the intruder's throat. Quicker than the eye could think of blinking, a diamond hand grabbed the knife blade and squeezed, effectively dulling the razor edges.  
  
Liriel gasped and dropped the ruined blade, staring as the drow she had met in Luskan turned to face her. "You slept well?" he questioned with a blank face. Liriel began preparing a spell, cautious of this drow's intentions. She realized after a while that he awaited an answer and nodded.  
  
"What are your intentions stranger?" she asked with a tone of command.  
  
The drow smiled warmly and spread his arms. "Please, as I have told you, I am called Yen'rathe, and be assured I do not mean to harm you in any way." Liriel relaxed slightly at this. The drow did not appear to be an immediate threat, and his tone of voice was warm and comforting.  
  
"Why are we here?" Liriel asked.  
  
"Trust me, you will know in time. What I will tell you now is that you are in the future. The year 2026 to be exact." Liriel mentally gasped. The future? How can that be possible? Liriel did have to admit that nothing in the house had ever been in her time. It was fairly obvious.  
  
A moment of silence passed, then Liriel finally had to ask, "Your arm... it's..... what happened?"  
  
"Accident." Yen'rathe replied simply. "It's called a biomechanical arm, which means it is made of artificial parts, but still is a part of me." He held the arm up for Liriel to inspect. Looking a bit closer, Liriel could barely make out tiny veins running throughout the whole assembly. "I can feel anything a normal being would feel except for temperature and pain," Yen'rathe went on.  
  
A sizeable grumble caused both of the elves to look at Liriel's stomach. "Hungry?" Yen'rathe asked with a grin. Liriel nodded and went to wake up Fyodor. Both walked into the kicthen five minutes later when Fyodor had received a briefing on the situation.  
  
Fyodor watched as Yen'rathe moved about the kitchen, cracking eggs into a bowl, mixing a frozen orange substance with water, and laying strips of meat into a pan. Yen'rathe took the pan and set it on the stove, turning the heat on medium.  
  
Fyodor looked at the circles on the ceramic top and questioned, "This device provides heat for your food?"  
  
"Correct," Yen'rathe answered as he poured vegetable oil into another pan and turned another burner to medium. He pointed at the circle which became red in seconds. We use a power called electricity to heat metal coils enough to cook our food." Liriel and Fyodor seemed confused. Yen'rathe decided to put it simpler. "You've seen what lightning does right?" Both nodded. "We harness something similar to lightning and use it to heat our food, for entertainment, and mobility." He pointed to his diamond arm. "My arm uses electricity powered motors, which spin, to make it move around."  
  
"Curious," Liriel said.  
  
"Fascinating!" Fyodor exclaimed. While breakfast was being prepared, Yen'rathe continued to explain to Liriel and Fyodor how things in the future worked and what they did. Fyodor seemed to have trouble looking away from the TV.  
  
"That looks done!" Yen'rathe exclaimed as he picked up a piece of bacon between two diamond fingers and stirred the eggs with a spatula in the other hand. He tossed a couple bacon pieces on each plate he had set out, and added an even portion of eggs. He filled up three glasses with orange juice and set one at each plate. "Enjoy!"  
  
All three dove into the meal with hearty appetites, with comments coming from Fyodor and Liriel.  
  
"Delicious meat!"  
  
"Fabulous eggs! What is your secret?"  
  
"All I did was scramble them......"  
  
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Okay, wierd stopping point. But I thought that this chapter had gone on long enough. N e ways, please write a review for me! A nice one mind you......... 


	3. Setting out for Edaras

Disclaimer: If you've read the other chapters then u probably know that I don't own anything in this story.  
  
The sun was beginning to set, casting orangish-pink rays all about, drawing the attention of a curious onlooker. Liriel sat on the roof of Yen'rathe's home, watching the beautiful display in the light spectrum and recalling the events of the day, and wondering what lay in store for her in this strange time.  
  
Yen'rathe had taken them on a short walk to the mall to buy some clothes that were more appropriate for the future, and Liriel was amazed to see that other drow walked freely about among elves, dwarves and humans without being rejected because of their heritage. It seemed that her kin had left the evil ways of Lloth and proved to the surface races that they meant to live in peace once again.  
  
Liriel shifted slightly as Yen'rathe sat down next to her. Both elves gazed silently at the stars as the sun finally dropped below the mountains. "What an interesting world you live in," Liriel spoke, causing Yen'rathe to look at her curiously.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned.  
  
Liriel shrugged helplessy, not really knowing what to say. Yen'rathe nodded. "I understand. You never knew an easygoing life in your time. It was a time of wars and darkness.  
  
Sighing, Liriel turned back to look at the moon which had now risen and was shining like a sliver of pure silver. "Lloth arrives at the full moon in a city called Edaras," Yenrathe said.  
  
"You have been further into the future?" Liriel asked with a questioning look.  
  
Yen'rathe nodded. "I have seen and experienced the destruction of Lloth." He looked down at his diamond arm.  
  
Liriel followed his gaze. "Your arm... it was.."  
  
"Lost, in an explosion. I was fighting off a demon, and didn't notice that a cleric had cast a fireball in an attempt to eliminate our small force."  
  
Liriel could tell that he didn't enjoy this subject. "So, when do we leave?" she asked.  
  
Yen'rathe glanced at his watch. "We leave now."  
  
"Now?"  
  
"Now," Yen'rathe said again. "We will take my yacht to the port in Edaras. There, we will raise the alarm and ready the city for battle." He pulled a thin leather book out of his pocket and handed it to Liriel, who took it and studied the cover. "Study the spells in this book, for they will surely come in handy."  
  
**********  
  
Later that night, the three reached the dock, much to the relief of Liriel and Fyodor, who -never having ridden in a car- found the definition of motion sickness quite unpleasant. With Yen'rathe leading, they staggered down the dock after him, eventually taking in enough cold night air to walk normally. They stopped at the end of the dock where a 45 foot high and 100 foot long yacht was docked. "This is it," Yen'rathe told them as he pulled a cord out of a nearby post and began winding it around his arm.  
  
Yen'rathe pulled the other end of the cord out of an outlet on the yacht and plugged both ends together. "How do we get on?" Fyodor asked, eyeing the deck which was about 6 feet above the dock. Yen'rathe, not answering, pulled out his wallet and grabbed a plastic card in one of the pockets. He swiped the card through a slot, causing a portion of the side of the yacht to extend downward and reveal a staircase.  
  
"Ah," Fyodor exclaimed as he set a foot on the bottom step and tested its durability. "I forget the miracles of your tech-no-lo-gy."  
  
"This is a custom built yacht," Yen'rathe spoke with pride. "Complete with all the latest and greatest improvements! We will not be without entertainment during our four day trip to Edaras. Now, just stay up here for a second and I'll be right back." He disappeared down a stairway, leaving Liriel and Fyodor alone for a moment.  
  
It wasn't a long wait before they heard something rumble down below. Smoke began to waft up from the back of the boat. Concerned, Fyodor yelled down the stairway, "Hey Yen'rathe, something is burning back here!" Not hearing an answer over the noise, Fyodor went down the stairs with Liriel in tow, and into a room filled with pipes and controls. They saw Yen'rathe stood behind a long console, flipping switches and tapping buttons on a screen. He noticed them enter and waved them over.  
  
"These are the engines!" he yelled as he pointed to two massive diesels set partway in the deck.  
  
"What do they do!?" Liriel yelled back. Fyodor had wandered to the back of the room, convinced that the smoke wasn't a problem, and was looking at a smaller diesel generator, mainly watching the generator spin with interest.  
  
"They move the boat about four times faster than sails can!" Yen'rathe pulled back a heavy lever and seemed convinced when the lights on the panel behind him turned from red to green. Liriel was wondering how the engines moved the boat. They seemed pretty lifeless. Yen'rathe grabbed a pair of earplugs and handed them to Liriel motioning that she stick them in her ears. Fyodor returned and received a pair as well.  
  
Satisfied that all ears were plugged, Yen'rathe grabbed a pair of levers in each hand and pushed them forward. The yacht shook and the lights dimmed as the engines sucked all power from the generator and turned over with a tremendous rumble. "Let's go up to the bridge!" Yen'rathe yelled.  
  
"What!?" Liriel yelled back with all her strength, though she doubted it got anywhere over the noise.  
  
Yen'rathe reverted to silent hand code which was used in the drow race. Knowing Fyodor didn't understand hand code and wouldn't hear any better, Yen'rathe grabbed him by the arm and pointed to the stairs.  
  
The noise died somewhat once they got on deck and Yen'rathe shut the engine room door. "Let's go up to the bridge," he repeated. He led them through a sliding glass door and into a well furnished room with a large TV sitting on a carved wooden table. The couches were fine leather and sat around a glass coffee table with a deck of cards laying in the center. Everything sat on a plush, dark green carpet and was illuminated by dim track lights set into the opposite walls. A bar separated the room from a kitchen that was further in.  
  
Yen'rathe led them up a stairway, then another, and into a darker room filled with navigation equipment and a row of windows in front. "This is the bridge," he said. Liriel gazed in wondering at the mass of blinking lights and small blips that appeared on the somputer screens. Yen'rathe sat in front of the center console and toggled a switch, illuminating a row of red buttons. He punched each button one by one, each turning green, and causing new sounds and vibrations to arise frow below. The last set of buttons disengaged the magnetic locks holding the boat to the dock.  
  
"Here we go!" Yen'rathe cried as he engaged the port thrusters and maneuvered away from the dock. He pushed both engine throttles to half speed and tapped a section on the screen in front of him. The yacht shuddered as the propellors engaged, moving it forward with increasing speed. And then they were moving out to the open ocean, and into the rising sun. 


	4. Breakdown

Later that night, Yen'rathe programmed the yacht to head Southeast towards Edaras and avoid any obstacles on the way. He took the free time to set up a barbecue on the top deck. Liriel and Fyodor reclined in sun chairs and watched the news on a mini television while they enjoyed the warm breezes from the south and the smell of roasting beef from the grill.  
  
"Steaks are done!" Yen'rathe called to them as he neatly set the meat on a serving plate and brought it to a table on the deck. "Go for it, I already ate." Both shrugged and dug in while Yen'rathe pulled a laptop from under his chair and sat down.  
  
"What's that?" Liriel asked with her mouth full of meat. Yen'rathe opened the screen and turned it on, turning it so Liriel would have a better view.  
  
"It's called a personal computer," Yen'rathe explained. "I often use it to send messages to business partners but it can be used for entertainment."  
  
Liriel had learned the basics of computers up in the bridge and understood some of what he said. "What are you doing now?" she asked as she watched him open an e-mail program.  
  
"I'm going to send a letter to my niece Shazzarra, telling her to expect us in three days. She is in Edaras right now. I think you two will get along well, as she is into magic also." Yen'rathe looked up then and gasped.  
  
"What's wrong?" Fyodor asked. An alarm went off behind them, and Yen'rathe closed out of the e-mail program and opened a new one.  
  
"Hold on!" Yen'rathe yelled as he tapped the keyboard rapidly. The yacht shuddered as he threw the transmissions into reverse. Visible heat waves rose rapidly from the exhaust tower as the engines were pushed to their max. The yacht was still moving too fast, and a bone chilling squeal came from below as a propeller struck an underwater rock.  
  
"SHIT!" was all Yen'rathe could yell before the yacht tipped to one side, throwing him and a couple of deck chairs over the railing. The engines shut down automatically and alarms went off all over the deck.  
  
"YEN'RATHE!" Liriel yelled as she ran over to the side.  
  
"Liriel wait!" Fyodor ran to pull her back, but was launched into the air and over the other railing as the yacht fell back again. Liriel hit the water beside him, having been launched as well.  
  
Yen'rathe came up beside them coughing water. "Never was the champ swimmer," he said in a humorous tone. "I managed to look at the propeller though, it looks like we'll have to put in for repairs. There's a repair and refueling station about twenty-five more miles. I don't get why the radar didn't avoid these rocks though."  
  
"How long of a delay?" asked Fyodor.  
  
"It will take maybe one-and-a-half to two hours to get there on one engine, maybe., a few more hours for repairs and check-ups."  
  
"Yen'rathe," Liriel spoke up, "Will we get to Edaras in time?"  
  
Yen'rathe gazed up at the darkening sky. Suddenly serious, he said quietly, "Once the repairs are done, we will need to move at top speed if we are to make it."  
  
"That's it, up ahead!" Yen'rathe announced finally. The Yacht had been going for two hours and twenty minutes, and all were relieved to see the station. Yen'rathe grabbed a radio and clicked a morse code message. A few moments later, a series of beeps came back.  
  
The yacht came up to a brightly lit bay and automatically stopped once it reached a glowing green barrier. "Yen'rathe?" came a voice over the radio.  
  
"This is Yen'rathe, go ahead."  
  
"Hey, it's Jan. Go ahead and shut off the engines, we're reeling you in now."  
  
"Who's Jan?" Liriel asked.  
  
"His full name's Janexulsothisil'un. He's a friend of mine. I found him half drowned in a sinking boat off the northern coast of Valhansas Island. Took him here, and he found a life as a mechanic and machine operator."  
  
The yacht jerked as a padded steel frame lifted it out of the water and pulled it further into the bay. "You be careful with my boat Jan!" Yen'rathe ordered over the radio.  
  
"No worries man! I got this. Just sit back until we get her buckled up."  
  
The boat was fully docked ten minutes later, and the bay doors had closed by the time the three climbed down off deck. A half-elf ran up to them immediately. "Yen'rathe! Great to see ya again!" he said in a joyful tone.  
  
"Liriel, Fyodor," Yen'rathe motioned with his diamond arm towards the half-elf, "Janexulsothisil'un."  
  
The said person blushed and mumbled through the corner of his mouth, "Don't use my full name please!"  
  
"Whatever," Yen'rathe motioned to his friends, "Jan, Liriel and Fyodor."  
  
Jan came up quickly and faced Liriel. "Wow," he mouthed silently.  
  
A silent moment passed, and Liriel could almost feel Jan's eyes boring right into her. Impatient, she asked, "Yes?"  
  
Jan mumbled something undecipherable, then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I..." He paused, then turned to Yen'rathe. "You guys hungry?"  
  
Well, hope you readers are liking my story. Sorry about the late updates and all but I have school and work and dumb stuff like that, so please review and let me know what u think! 


	5. Dinner, and a birthday present

Chapter 5  
  
Deep in the smoky layers of the abyss, a dark figure walked alone on a shifting and oozing path. Seemingly delicate and fragile, but even the strongest demons knew this creature was among the most dangerous that walked the plane. A black skinned hand emerged from the robes, and pointed at a wall of mushrooms. "Obsul," came a command word from under the hood, and immediately, a small portal appeared in the wall, slowly widening until it was about six feet tall. The creature stepped through, the portal closing behind, and grinned evilly. Lloth had come to the future.  
  
It was already 8:00 at night, and bright lights shone down on the top deck of the station, providing illumination for the outside diners. The Chinese restaurant was a popular place for travelers who stopped at the station, and all tables were full. Jan had chosen a table by the edge railing, and had ordered the chef's special, which composed of chicken fried rice, teriyaki beef, and a vegetable stir fry.  
  
Exotic plants bloomed in large flowerpots around them, probably an attempt to cover up the steel deck and make the dining area more comfortable. Chinese style music drifted through the air, and women dressed in red robes with white trim danced and brought food. A swimming pool and hot tub were further down the deck, and guests from the hotel the next level down swam and relaxed while drinking a wide variety of wines from an appetizer table near the hot tub.  
  
"When will my boat be ready?" Yen'rathe asked through a mouthful of rice.  
  
Jan shrugged. "The prop was torn up pretty bad, that one will take a few hours to re-shape. I got the tech's looking at your guidance system and I also have team working on your engine upgrades. You said you need to get somewhere fast? Not a problem when they're through."  
  
"What kind of upgrades?"  
  
Jan pulled a list from his pocket and looked at it. "Looks like they are putting in a modified turbocharger on each engine for improved air flow, larger injectors, aaaaannnnnnd. widening the exhaust ports."  
  
"What's the estimated cost for all of this?"  
  
Jan smiled widely. "Zero. Your birthday's coming up soon right? I can work an extra month with no pay and it'll be taken care of."  
  
"Jan don't do that!" an alarmed Yen'rathe said.  
  
"Hey don't worry about me!" Jan replied. "I get food for free you know, regular breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not bad stuff either!"  
  
"At least let me pay half," Yen'rathe asked.  
  
"Not gonna let you do that, just do something REAL nice for my birthday!"  
  
"Agreed." Yen'rathe looked to Liriel and Fyodor, noticing that they were done eating. "Feel like taking a walk?"  
  
"Where?" Fyodor asked.  
  
"I want to check up on the upgrades to my boat, make sure they don't toss anything I want to keep on there."  
  
Jan paid the bill after the table was cleared off, and took them down the elevator to the maintenance bay. Yen'rathe's yacht was crawling with engineers when they got there. A section of the hull had been carefully removed, and the hole had been filled with cables, tubes and hoses of all sizes. Flame resistant tubes were attached to the exhaust tower, and more hoses ran across the deck and over the railing.  
  
"How long will it take to finish all of this?" Yen'rathe yelled over the noise of drills, fans, and equipment.  
  
Jan shrugged. "Maybe another few hours. Let's go up and see where they are right now!"  
  
Liriel and Fyodor watched as a forklift effortlessly lifted a pallet weighing a thousand pounds or more and set it down on the deck of the boat. "What's that?" she yelled.  
  
"Those are the turbochargers!" Jan yelled back. "They help the engines breathe!"  
  
The group had trouble moving around the numerous pallets and workers that crowded the deck. They were finally able to climb over some barrels of oil and get down to the engine room. One engine was completely dismantled, stripped down to the block, and the other engine was being put back together.  
  
Yen'rathe walked over and surveyed the work An exhaust manifold lay on the floor, and the openings were noticeably wider, edges rounded off and polished to a silvery shine. He nodded in approval. He walked over to the nearly complete engine and took a new injector out of a box.  
  
Liriel left Fyodor to wander around while she made her way up to the kitchen. She made it to the top of the stairs and was hit by a dark blur with short white hair and eyeglasses. She looked down and saw a young drow boy rubbing his nose and mumbling to himself.  
  
The boy looked up and blinked, finally realizing that Liriel stood there. "Can you tell me what the cube root of 315 is?" he asked in a high pitched voice.  
  
Liriel had no idea what he was talking about, and shrugged helplessly.  
  
He gave a loud, frustrated sigh and yelled, "Can ANYONE tell me what the cube root of 315 is?"  
  
"About 6.8041," came a voice behind him.  
  
"Uncle Yen'rathe!" A blur, then Yen'rathe was on the ground, and the boy stood happily next to him, babbling on and on.  
  
"You're an uncle?!" Liriel asked in mock disbelief.  
  
"I am," came the reply. "This is my nephew," he slapped his hand over the boy's mouth, "Derek." 


	6. Meltdown

Chapter 6  
  
It was two hours later that the yacht was finished. Liriel had spent that time in the lounge room, studying her spell book. A curious spell had held her attention for the last half hour, one that could turn anything within thirty feet of the spellcaster to ash. A voice interrupted her concentration, and deciding to take a break, Liriel turned to the speaker.  
  
"They finished putting the engines together," Yen'rathe announced. "We'll be able to leave once they've tested them."  
  
"How long will that take?"  
  
"Only another half hour."  
  
Derek came in then, yelling in his high pitched voice, "Uncle Yen'rathe! Can I start the engines!? CanIcanIcanI?"  
  
"Sure! Let's go!"  
  
Liriel followed the two, forgetting about the spell for the moment. The engine room was packed with workers, and the three had to push their way through to the front. Jan was there waiting for them.  
  
"Your keys," he made a mock bow and handed Yen'rathe a silvery keychain. The control console had been converted into a large touch screen, and an emergency stop button and the key slot were to the side of it.  
  
"Are they all ready to go?" he asked Jan. "If they blow, it's your fault you know."  
  
"They're not gonna blow."  
  
The engines themselves looked completely different. A turbocharger sat at the right side of each engine, and various test wires and hoses were plugged in at different points.  
  
Yen'rathe handed the keys to Derek who eagerly stuck them in the slot, pausing to straighten his glasses, and turned them. Nothing happened, except for a slight buzzing noise coming from the cylinders. Then the engines turned over without warning, revving up high, then coming back to a low idle at 400 RPM. Derek tapped "HALF" on the screen, and the RPM soared up to 1500. The turbochargers came on at this speed, and a high pitched whistle filled the room. "FULL" brought the RPM to 3000.  
  
Yen'rathe hand signaled to Jan, "What kind of results are we getting?"  
  
Jan gave him a confused look and signaled back, "My screen's blank, better shut them down."  
  
Yen'rathe reached for the touch screen, but stopped as the screen went blank and the lights went out. The engines shuddered as the power was cut, and a siren went off in the maintenance bay.  
  
"What the hell happened?" Jan yelled as everyone emptied out of the engine room. The maintenance bay was without power as well, and slow blinking red lights were the only illumination.  
  
"Liriel! Yen'rathe!" came a call from the maintenance deck. Both looked down and saw Fyodor waving to them. "Are you all right?" he yelled.  
  
"We're fine!"  
  
An engineer ran up to Jan, fear clearly etched on his face. "We have a problem."  
  
"What?"  
  
"What has happened can't have been a coincidence. Someone drained the reactor, jammed the control rods, and we have a meltdown estimated in twenty minutes."  
  
"A MELTDOWN!?"  
  
"There's nothing we can do about it. We need to evacuate."  
  
"Are there enough boats to get everyone off this station?" Yen'rathe cut in. "I can take some on mine."  
  
"Good," Jan sighed, "Lets get them loaded up." He pulled a radio from his belt and tapped a button.  
  
A computerized voice came over the station speakers then. "Attention, due to serious emergencies, this station is being evacuated. Hotel guests, please go to section 2B on the base level. Base level personnel, please go section 2C. First level personnel, please go to section 7A." The voice continued up to level five, then stopped.  
  
Everyone came flooding in to their assigned areas just minutes later, rushing to get to their escape boats. Yen'rathe's yacht soon became packed with passengers, with more still piling on.  
  
"How much time Jan?" Yen'rathe yelled as he started the engines again.  
  
"Seven minutes!"  
  
Jan ran to the maintenance bay control console and opened the main bay doors. "Shit, wait Yen'rathe!"  
  
While Jan had been opening the doors, the yacht had begun sliding back on the frame that held it. "Jan!" Liriel yelled. She threw down a rope and yelled, "Grab on!"  
  
Jan made a desperate grab as the Yacht slid back into the water. Failing, he slipped and splashed into the water. Liriel acted quickly and put her thumbs and forefingers together. Muttering an incantation, she pulled her fingers apart, creating a portal out of thin air. She reached in and yanked Jan through. The soaked half-elf sat on the deck and coughed the water out of his lungs, giving Liriel a smile.  
  
"Nice trick!" he commented.  
  
Liriel shrugged. "It comes in handy."  
  
***  
  
Sorry, know the chapters are a little short and end kind of at odd places but to tell the truth I'm not the best writer so bear with me. Anyway, in between school and work I will try my best to update often so check back and review when you get the chance! 


	7. Unexpected Attack

Disclaimer: You probably have guessed that nothing in this story is MINE!  
  
Enywho, on with the story...  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The yacht had been going on for a little more than an hour, and everyone had settled in comfortably. Liriel stood on the outer bridge deck, watching the brightening horizon. She had been studying a line of black silhouettes visible against the rising sun for over ten minutes, and noted that they seemed to be getting larger.  
  
Frowning, she turned to Fyodor who stood beside here, apparently seeing what she saw and sharing the same concerns. "You see them too?" She asked quietly.  
  
Fyodor nodded. "They can't be more escape boats." He motioned to the other escape craft that were keeping speed alongside them. There were at least fifty others surrounding them.  
  
"What would they be?" Liriel asked aloud. She decided to talk to Yen'rathe. She walked into the bridge and stood beside Yen'rathe who was staring forward and tapping the steering controls. "It seems that we are being followed," She whispered into his ear.  
  
Yen'rathe nodded without taking his eyes from the windshield. "I've seen them as well. Jan, what have we got?" He turned to look at his friend who sat at the radar console.  
  
"Sending out a probe now," Jan replied as he tapped a panel in front of him. A dull thump echoed through the hull, and three windshield panels flickered to life, showing a camera view from the probe. At first it was all water rushing by, then the probe broke the surface.  
  
"What is that?" Jan whispered aloud. A ship like nothing they had ever seen came into view. It consisted of four hulls linked together by thick pieces of wood that were covered with carvings of spiders. Both center hulls sported their own masts with a full set of sails that had been painted with black and blood red stripes. Other ships of similar design came into view around the center ship and the whole armada sped up.  
  
Jan zoomed the camera in on one ship and everyone in the bridge got a good look of what was on it. "Drow," Liriel whispered.  
  
Yen'rathe saw it too and yelled, "What's their speed Jan?"  
  
Jan tapped a panel and waited before replying, "I have readings of 50mph and steadily climbing!"  
  
The Drow ships were easily visible now, and there wasn't even time to raise an alarm as a fireball rocketed from the center ship and blew a hole in one of the escape boats. The forward momentum of the craft pushed the bow into the water and flipped it over. The boat sank rapidly.  
  
"Let's see what she can do Jan!" Yen'rathe yelled as he grabbed the throttle and pushed it fully forward. The other escape craft had similar engines and quickly followed suit. A gout of water sprayed up from the back of the yacht as the engines revved and pushed the yacht up to 55mph.  
  
"Incoming!" someone on deck yelled. Another fireball hit just behind the yacht, extinguishing in a gout of steam.  
  
Liriel had an idea for fighting back and closed her hand around the windwalker amulet while she closed her eyes and held her other hand out towards the attackers. She muttered an incantation and every light and screen on the boat flickered as the power was stolen from them and gathered in the palm of her hand. A colossal ball of electric energy sat at her fingertips, ready to be released, which she wasted no time in doing.  
  
The energy ball hit the oncoming ships at blinding speed, setting a few of them on fire and electrifying the crews. More ships moved in to take their place. "They're still gaining on us!" Jan yelled.  
  
Fireballs were now thick in the air, joined by flaming ballista bolts. Yen'rathe saw an opportunity to lose some attackers up ahead. Sharp rocks stuck up out of the water, an area Yen'rathe had navigated many times. Grinning, he gave the engines a short burst of nitrous oxide to test them out, then held the trigger down, grinning even wider as the engines screamed!  
  
The other escape boats had recovered from the shock of the attacks and were firing their own weapons. Bullets flew through the air and managed to take down several of the enemy craft. Magical shields were quickly raised on the surviving boats though, rendering the guns useless.  
  
"Here we go!" Yen'rathe yelled, resting his right hand on the bow thruster controls and putting the engines on diesel again as the yacht entered the rocks. Several thinner drow craft followed, dodging rocks with amazing agility.  
  
Yen'rathe concentrated fully on navigating the yacht through the rocks. Not an easy thing to do at 60mph. Everyone else on board was forced to hang on for dear life as Yen'rathe fired the bow thrusters rapidly, occasionally giving a squirt of nitrous oxide to the engines.  
  
"Incoming!" Jan yelled. A ballista bolt sailed through the air with deadly accuracy. Yen'rathe didn't expect the attackers to take his driving into consideration though. He threw the engines into reverse right as they came up on a column or rocks, while firing the right bow thruster and spinning the yacht sideways. The ballista bolt flew over them and hit the rock column, breaking huge chunks out of it.  
  
A Drow craft with a steel enforced bow ran at the yacht's exposed side with the intention of ramming it. Yen'rathe was ready though, and gave the engines a full dose of nitrous oxide. The enemy craft didn't have time to change course as the yacht moved away. It smashed into the remains of the rock column and sank.  
  
"There's no end to these guys!" Yen'rathe yelled as he chanced a look behind him and saw more coming. The rocks ended up ahead, giving him a chance to relax a bit since he didn't have to concentrate on driving as much.  
  
The other escape boats had gone around the rocks and were still being pursued by the Drow attackers. "All boats come in," said a voice on the radio. The escape boats gave a "go ahead" one by one. "Form a line in front of the attackers and drop an anti-magic mine, that should slow them down a bit."  
  
"Jan!" Yen'rathe yelled, "You drive for a while, I need to load the mine. Fyodor, I need your strength! Come with me!"  
  
Fyodor and Yen'rathe ran swiftly down the stairs and Jan took a seat at the controls. Liriel followed them down to the engine room, not knowing what else to do.  
  
Yen'rathe ran over to a large steel cylinder that sat on its side against the far wall. "We need to move this into the launcher!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. The engines running full speed literally drowned out any noise.  
  
Fyodor understood even though he couldn't hear Yen'rathe, and bent down, grunting as he lifted one end of the cylinder. Yen'rathe got his diamond hand under the other end and lifted it easily with the aid of the motors in his arm.  
  
An explosion outside rocked the yacht and Fyodor lost his balance, dropping the heavy cylinder. "What was that?"  
  
**********  
  
Sorry that took so long to update but as I may have said before I am a serious procrastinator. So anyway, read up, and review. 


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